Dr LeCrone
03-24-2006, 03:06 PM
• He is not an alcoholic; he has never missed a day’s work.
• She couldn’t be an alcoholic, she doesn’t drink everyday.
• Alcoholics simply have no willpower.
• Alcoholics have no conscience or they would not do what they do.
• Alcoholics are pitiable and hopeless.
• She never takes a drink until after 5 p.m. She can’t be an alcoholic.
• Good people do not become alcoholics.
Score yourself. If you believe one or more of the above statements, then you are one of the millions with misconceptions about alcoholism.
Conservatively estimated, within the Central Texas area there are 15,000 alcoholics. Most of them have families, maintain jobs, are involved in church and community activities. The devastating effects on that person’s health, spouse, children, work performance and quality of life are often explained away by well meaning family members and friends. Often a person may be in direct contact with someone displaying the physical, mental, social and spiritual deterioration accompanying alcoholism and not realize what is happening.
Alcoholism has often been called a disease of denial. Victims do not face the truth of their chemical dependency until there are major business, physical, family, social or legal consequences. The average number of legal difficulties an alcoholic will have before admitting to treatment totals nine.
Family and friends discuss the problem, the alcoholic denies the problem, even tapers off for a while only to resume drinking and continue until forced to examine the problem.
Alcoholism is progressive and affects all areas of life. Nationwide, the economic loss attributed to alcoholism and drug related problems is $46 billion dollars.
Early detection and treatment results in benefit to the person, family and community.
An alcoholic may ask the following questions:
• Has my drinking affected my work performance, efficiency or ambition?
• Has my drinking caused me to feel guilty, experience sleep difficulties, or have memory loss?
• Has my drinking made my home life unhappy? Abusive actions, less responsible behavior, desire to be alone when drinking, or turning to a lesser environment?
• Do I crave a drink at a certain time each day, or even the next day?
• Have I experienced health problems which have caused my physician to question me about the amount of alcohol consumed?
If a person answers yes to any of these areas it would be well to look closely at the drinking problem.
Next week we will continue the discussion of alcoholism by examining what can be done to treat this problem that directly affects 15,000 Central Texas families.
Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D. Copyright 1985
• She couldn’t be an alcoholic, she doesn’t drink everyday.
• Alcoholics simply have no willpower.
• Alcoholics have no conscience or they would not do what they do.
• Alcoholics are pitiable and hopeless.
• She never takes a drink until after 5 p.m. She can’t be an alcoholic.
• Good people do not become alcoholics.
Score yourself. If you believe one or more of the above statements, then you are one of the millions with misconceptions about alcoholism.
Conservatively estimated, within the Central Texas area there are 15,000 alcoholics. Most of them have families, maintain jobs, are involved in church and community activities. The devastating effects on that person’s health, spouse, children, work performance and quality of life are often explained away by well meaning family members and friends. Often a person may be in direct contact with someone displaying the physical, mental, social and spiritual deterioration accompanying alcoholism and not realize what is happening.
Alcoholism has often been called a disease of denial. Victims do not face the truth of their chemical dependency until there are major business, physical, family, social or legal consequences. The average number of legal difficulties an alcoholic will have before admitting to treatment totals nine.
Family and friends discuss the problem, the alcoholic denies the problem, even tapers off for a while only to resume drinking and continue until forced to examine the problem.
Alcoholism is progressive and affects all areas of life. Nationwide, the economic loss attributed to alcoholism and drug related problems is $46 billion dollars.
Early detection and treatment results in benefit to the person, family and community.
An alcoholic may ask the following questions:
• Has my drinking affected my work performance, efficiency or ambition?
• Has my drinking caused me to feel guilty, experience sleep difficulties, or have memory loss?
• Has my drinking made my home life unhappy? Abusive actions, less responsible behavior, desire to be alone when drinking, or turning to a lesser environment?
• Do I crave a drink at a certain time each day, or even the next day?
• Have I experienced health problems which have caused my physician to question me about the amount of alcohol consumed?
If a person answers yes to any of these areas it would be well to look closely at the drinking problem.
Next week we will continue the discussion of alcoholism by examining what can be done to treat this problem that directly affects 15,000 Central Texas families.
Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D. Copyright 1985